I created a layout documenting my love for caffeine...such a help coffee is when you're having a "blah" day!

I started my design process by layering a piece of patterned paper from the collection on top of a dark charcoal gray piece of cardstock to give my color scheme some contrast and to make the white and black elements pop. I placed my photo under one of the chipboard sticker frames from the collection and layered several of the die cut pieces around it.

I used my die cut machine to cut out some vine shapes using the green/yellow striped patterned paper and layered them behind my photo and around the left side of my page. I placed some of the black and white leaf die cuts on top of the vines to give it more dimension. I also layered a few of the enamel dots around the vine leaves as well.

I used the die cut phrase "real life" as my title and placed one of the chipboard stickers underneath of it. I also layered a few of the puffy stickers on top of a journaling tag to create a simple embellishment cluster and of course the coffee cup looked so cute and was perfect for my page!

To be entered into the giveaway, all you have to do is stop by each blog on the hop and leave a comment. A random winner will be drawn on Saturday, February 10th, 2018 and comments will close on Thursday, February 8th at 11:59pm CST.

Good luck and here's a complete list of the blog hop in case you missed one!

1.25.2018

Hello, Pinkfresh fans! I'm up next on the "Let Your Heart Decide" Blog Hop lineup and I created this layout using this gorgeous new collection and one of my favorite photos from our recent family vacation to the Dominican Republic...

I started by placing one of the 6x6 patterned paper pieces on top of one of the more subtle 12x12 patterned papers from the "Let Your Heart Decide" collection and placed my photo directly in the middle of it. Next, I layered several of the die cuts and layered stickers from the collection around my photo. I was really inspired by the floral pieces and how they looked next to the colors in my photograph.

I also added several of the wood stickers to my floral embellishment clusters to add some extra dimension and texture contrast. I also layered a few of the puffy stickers around my photo as well and used the puffy letter stickers to complete my title.

I also journaled a bit on one of the label stickers and placed it under the left side of my photo. I also added an embellishment cluster under the right side of my photo and a little towards the bottom to help draw the eye around my page.

What do you think about this lovely new collection? For a chance to win the giveaway of the Let Your Heart Decide collection, all you have to do is comment on each blog in the hop and a random winner will be drawn on Saturday, February 3rd, 2018. Comments will close at 11:59pm CST on Thursday, February 1st, 2018.

Next up is Amanda Jayne Baldwin's blog, so head over there next! Good luck and here is the blog hop lineup in case you get off track...

1.13.2018

Hey everyone and happy 2018! I'm excited to announce that I am a guest designer over at Elle's Studio this month! I am designing three projects using their latest releases and here is my first project...

I used a piece of kraft cardstock for my background paper and placed the “I Love You More Than All The Stars In The Sky” die cut next to the photo of my husband and I, which I layered on top of the striped patterned paper from the XOXO 6″ x 6″ Paper Stack.

Next, I visually balanced out my design by using two more patterned paper pieces from the XOXO 6″ x 6″ Paper Stack and cut them to fill in the white space under my photo and the sentiment die cut piece. Since I love to layer and create embellishment clusters, I utilized the space on the patterned paper pieces under my photo for just that.

I placed several die cut and Hand Drawn Acrylic Hearts and tags from the Love You Die Cut on the patterned paper squares and I also used some of the leftover pieces from the striped patterned paper that I layered under my photo to create a pocket to house my journaling card, which I sewed onto the page.

I simply placed the piece of patterned paper onto my page and used my sewing machine to stitch around three sides of it to create a little pocket. This is a great way to add texture to your page while hiding some of your private journaling!

I also included several of the Star Chipboard and Hugs and Kisses Puffy Stickers to add some dimension and color pop to my design. I love how the softer colors from the XOXO 6″ x 6″ Paper Stack look paired with the pops of black and white!You can check out my full post on the Elle's Studio blog...thanks so much for stopping by and I hope your New Year is off to a great start!